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washi tape

I realized last night when I was creating this page that the theme was emerging from an inner desire to be able to just stop. A lot has been going on in my life, all good things, but these things have been eating into the time I spend with my journal. I realized last night that my journal creates a place of pause for me, a haven where I can stop, look, and listen to my heart and soul.

Fall has always been a favorite season of mine since I was a child, but the longer I live in the Pacific Northwest, the more I love Spring! I love the bright vivid chartreuse green leaves emerging from the skeletal trees dominating the landscape all Winter. I love the bursts of color from the early spring bulbs – crocus, daffodils, and soon tulips. I adore the abundance of cherry blossoms, especially the trees that have double blossoms and look like puff balls. I am energized by Spring and restored by it. I think I’m just a bit frustrated by everything (ie. life) moving so fast. I need more time to focus on what is beautiful around me. Art is one of the ways I do that. Working in my garden is another. There are so many opportunities to live and breathe and be. I am full of gratitude and it’s abundant.

I think I am addicted to tearing paper. It all started with tearing all my 12 x 12 sheets into squares and now I can’t seem to stop.

Today’s challenge was to use at least 10 pieces of background papers or other elements. I’m really getting the opportunity to use all of the stuff I’ve been stashing away for about two years. Little bits of ephemera collected, cut out, sorted, and saved for some project. I’m reaping the benefits now.

My journaling talks about taking time for myself when I need encouragement or if I need to become aware. By the time I was done writing it, I realized I was talking about serenity and that my focal image captures exactly that feeling. So I wrote the sentence across the picture, “The gift of serenity is a gift I give myself.” I think that sums it up perfectly.

On this page, I went a little wild with the washi tape. I think that I take my health for granted and I’ve been working on changing that over the last year – meaning that I have been working to become healthier. This page reflects on the importance of health and how lucky I am to feel good almost all the time. I can’t do cartwheels anymore, but maybe someday I will be able to do them again.